Heavy on Steers. Got some Q's

If you can, slide your fifth wheel back. This will redistribute some weight off the steers and onto the drives. When you fuel you add weight to the steers and drives. Each hole in the fifth wheel moves approx 500 lbs.

 

240 gallons of fuel weighs a little over 1700 lbs. (diesel is 7.15 lbs/gallon, everyone rounds it up to 8)
So your numbers sound correct.
Depending on the states you are driving thru and the weight rating on your steer tires, you are allowed more than 12,000 lbs on your steers.
I know that isnt much help, but if you have a sliding 5th wheel, slide it all the way to the rear to put more weight on the drives and off the steers.

 

Sounds to me like the trl needs to be reloaded. In your case, you will gain nothing from moving the trailer tandems with this load.

 

You may have found the answer yourself. Now I don't know for sure, but I do know that a lot of scales tell you NOT to set your brakes while you are getting weighed. I always believed that it was to keep from throwing the figures off.

If you are still there, a simple solution is to reweigh without setting your brakes. If that does not clear it up, then you really don't have a lot of options. As Dave said, time to get the load reworked.

 

Just FYI Lynch the trailer tandems do not effect the weight of the steers regardless of which way you move them.

Sliding trailer tandems only add or take away weight from the trailer tandems and drives. When you slide your trailer tandems backwards, you add weight to the drives. When you slide your trailer tandems forwards, you add weight to the rear (trailer tandems).

You're not over gross but 13,800+ is going to be a problem especially if your front end and tires are only rated for 12,500. Your best bet is to take the load back and have them redistribute it. Trailer tandems DO NOT AFFECT STEER WEIGHTS!

Only sliding the fifth wheel does. The fifth wheel does not effect trailer weight either only the drives and steers. Hope that helps. Think of the trailer and the tandems being a see saw and it acts the same way a see saw does. A simple rule of thumb goes like this. If you're moving the trailer tandems, slide it towards the problem. If you're sliding your fifth wheel, move it away from the problem. If you're over gross max weight (80,000) you can't fix it by sliding anything, something must be removed.

 

Slide the trailer up to the front! You said it's set for Ca bridge so move it forward till you have 33500 on them and that will take care of the steers. Next time don't put so much fuel on when you have those kinds of numbers. Actually fuel weighs 7.3 per gallon warm! But NEVER figure it at 8 as that's giving you bad estimates on your weight especially if you DO need fuel! or are real close to max weights!

Also NEVER set your brakes on the scales! EVER! It will give you bad weights! I'm thinking that's what you dd to get those weights. If you so just HAVE to set your brakes set the TRAILER as it will let the platform move until settled. Setting both tractor and trailer brakes will "lock" the 3 platforms and not allow them to adjust to the actual weight of the truck. Hence those weird weights you got after fueling as none of the fuel weight should have gone to the trailer!

I pull onto the scales and set and wait for the truck to stop moving. scales should be extremely level. If the truck does start to roll then use the trailer brake handle or Johnson bar and set the trailer or pull the trailer knob BUT if you have one of those trailers that dumps the air then you need to wait till they are dumped before you push the button to call in or you'll get a screwy reading. SCREW the guy behind you! it's YOUR $9. Unless he wants to pay for you!

Another tip. Look at your steers and read the max weights stamped on the sidewall! Look at warm temp and double that for the TOTAL you can put on the steer tires.

Now go find a company that's not so freaking cheap as to have a set 5th wheel! What a cheap arsed moron!

Also if you're still there go back to the scale and reweigh without the brakes. Eat the dollar reweigh just to see what you did wrong or what happens and let us know!

 

Like Rollover said just set your trailer brakesif you have too, that will allow your tractor to move forward when your bags dump which could have been part of your problem.

Rubbergear, depending on how the trailer is loaded and where the 5th wheel is set, you can take away or add weight to your steers by moving the tandems because your drives/5th wheel is a pivot point.

 

No the fulcrum is the trailer tandems. Certainly a pivot point at the fifth wheel coupling but it has little effect on weight distribution of the trailer tandems. It may change slightly but not enough to get you legal.

If you don't believe it, spend a few extra bucks on a cat scale and move the trailer tandems a couple times weighing each different setting and note the steer weight. It will not change significantly.

The fifth will placement distributes the weight on the steers and drives but will not effect the trailer tandems significantly. Just the way it goes. You set the trailer tandems to distribute the weight on the drives and trailer and the fifth wheel for the drives and steers.

I've had several loads where I had to adjust both the tandems and the fifth wheel to get it right. It is a balance but basically, moving one is only going to affect two weights by itself not all three weights together.